Monitor recommendations. What's good?

Middcore wrote:

Can anybody recommend a VESA desk mount which is compatible with the Asus ROG Swift PG248Q (or other monitors with a similar pointed/peaked back design)?

I had a 248Q at one point and it was mounted on an Ergotron LX. I don't recall having any issues getting it mounted, but it's also a flexible arm not a straight post style stand like you linked and it's also way more expensive as I recall. I got them on sale I think for $100 a piece at the time.

If you are in Canada and in the market for 1080p, 144hz this one is on sale right now.Your text to link here...]XB240H

hmm... why is my formatting not working? Sorry!

Old Man Pi wrote:

If you are in Canada and in the market for 1080p, 144hz this one is on sale right now. XB240H

hmm... why is my formatting not working? Sorry!

Fixed it in the quote.

You had an extra ] bracket in there. Left in the "Your text to link here....]" bit.

Going to treat myself to a new monitor. Only need 1080p and have an AMD card so Freesync is good.

Any thoughts on this panel?

LG 24GM79G-B
http://a.co/d/91FuGDo

There's a Reddit thread discussing issues with scanline artifacts on that panel. Some users "solved" it by running at odd timings (119hz, 143hz).

I would probably consider the Viewsonic XG2402.

Thanks for that Legion, I was looking at the Viewsonic as well.

It is important to recognize that no monitor is going to be flawless, especially at that price point, and it's real easy to get caught up in the little flaws. So, y'know, just figure out what flaws bother you the most, avoid those, and live with the lesser ones.

Anyone using a LG 32GK850G - or just VA monitors in general?
Been looking at a new monitor for a long while, but I never get anywhere because they all seem flawed.
Kinda worried about the viewing angles on this one.
Had a TN monitor years ago, and I cant live with such terrible viewing angles, but not sure where this one lands. Some say its not good, others that its pretty fine - though below IPS.
Also a bit large, 27 or 30" would seem nicer. On the other hand 1440p, 144hz, gsync and the contrast ratio is what I am looking for.

I recently got a new computer and I am looking to upgrade my old TN monitor to something nicer. I am looking at this:

LG 25UM57 25-Inch Screen LED-lit Monitor

It's got good reviews, but was wondering if you hardware experts can spot something that I can't. The new system has a 1070 in it.

I would like to hear what people think of using TVs as monitors. I'd like to set up a home office with a generous monitor for my laptop. I see monitors like this, or I could do a couple of smaller monitors like this, but for less money I could do a TV like this that seems to offer more. With most computers and TVs having some form of HDMI now, and (unlike the CRT days) TVs often meeting or exceeding monitor resolutions, it seems like it has never been easier to use TVs as monitors. What am I loosing?

Typically the thing to worry about with TV's vs monitors is input lag, they tend to average in the 2-3x higher than most even average monitors.

That said, there's a larger selection of decent for PC low input lag TV's now than there's ever been.

I'd say give this Rtings page a read. They cover their picks for best TV's for PC use across a range of sizes and price ranges and cover the why's and what-for's.

It seems the biggest downside to a 40+ screen in some cases is typical distance people sit from monitors means you end up with panel viewing angles actually having an effect on the outer edges of the screen. If you aren't going to put it at the back edge of your desk and sit far enough away to avoid the downsides of the VA panels that most sets tend to be using right now it might be very noticeable.

That said, their top pick is a 40-something inch Sony that uses an IPS panel (that is immune to the above issue) and is under $500, so you may very well still find what you want on there.

So I'm on the lookout for a monitor upgrade: current one is (oh god) a 9 year old 22" Asus. It's been a real workhorse and currently doubles as our TV (from-the-couch distance) and my gaming machine (normal desk chair distance).

Ideally I'd like something in the 27"+ size (1080p res) which will look good at both ranges. Also something that isn't "gamery" if you know what I mean. Any recommendations?

Hmm. If I were in that scenario, I would consider the option of using a TV as my monitor.

Yeah a nice 43-55” TV would be an ideal mix use PC monitor and TV.

*Legion* wrote:

Hmm. If I were in that scenario, I would consider the option of using a TV as my monitor.

TheGameguru wrote:

Yeah a nice 43-55” TV would be an ideal mix use PC monitor and TV.

Anything in particular I should look out for in terms of specs? Is the price difference between monitors and TVs significant across all sizes?

It's on the small size for your purposes, but I recently got a BenQ 27-inch 1080p HDR10 Monitor (EW277HDR) on Amazon for $200 and I am very happy with it. I can't speak to the HDR capacity, but even without properly testing that feature I'm very pleased with the dynamic range. (It beat the pants off our older plasma tv playing Witcher 3, with high contrast scenes being much more legible.) The stand is fixed (with only verticle angle adjustable) but the look is very clean and non-gamery. It has a nice group of preset color-configurations, and the late night blue-reduction setting is excellent for close-up evening screen time.

Math wrote:

Anything in particular I should look out for in terms of specs? Is the price difference between monitors and TVs significant across all sizes?

Well, if you're gaming on it, definitely low input lag. Refer to rtings.com reviews for the only input lag testing that's really worth a damn.

Yes, the price difference between TVs and monitors can be huge at the same screen sizes. You're not buying a 43" 4K PC monitor for $260, like you can a TCL TV.

A TV is going to motion blur more than a monitor, but for most people, this isn't a deal-breaker - after all, virtually everyone playing console games is doing so on a TV.

Probably the thing that you will have to figure out is dialing in your comfort level for desktop use. Unlike PC monitors, TVs are only going to give you a couple resolution options: 1080p, which might not look the most pleasing when up close to a large screen, and 4K, which can be somewhat squinty depending on your distance from the TV, the screen size, if you're using any text size scaling, etc. (Also, you're not likely going to play PC games at native 4K unless you have a powerful system. Playing them at 1080p on the 4K TV is perfectly fine, but will likely involve a few quality-of-life quirks.)

You may find you need to position the large TV further away from you than the 22" monitor. It's something you'll need to play with.

My recommendation to everyone when buying TVs: buy from somewhere where returns are as painless as possible. I buy almost exclusively from Costco for this, which is easier now than it used to be as they carry far more brands and models of TVs than they used to. Whatever purchase you make, make it with the expectation that you might turn right around and return it and try a different model.

I just bought a TV for my office, set it up, used it for an hour, then put it back in the box and took it to Costco to swap it for the next size up of the same model.

Second the willingness to return thing. I have a 27" Acer 1080p monitor I got a few years ago. Pretty quickly after I got it, I realized there was a semi-noticeable amount of ghosting on it. It's not in your face, but you can see it in certain scenes. I don't love it, and if it was easier, I would've swapped it for something else. But I bought from Amazon, and didn't feel like boxing it back up and shipping back, so I just live with it.

Input lag is subjective, and depends on what kind of gamer you are and what you play. If you're into competitive twitch games like online shooters or fighting games, you might notice heavy lag. But you also might not, and just naturally adapt to it. Personally, I naturally adapt. The other thing to keep in mind is that when I looked last, usually to get the lowest input lag, you had to switch to a game mode, and that usually turns off any image adjustments you've made. You're almost definitely going to want to adjust the picture (rtings usually has a decent set of calibrated settings you can use), and I hated the idea of having to look at a worse picture just to save a few ms of lag, so I never use that mode.

Amazon currently has this 32in monitor with a $150 discount

Acer Predator Gaming Z321QU bmiphzx Curved 31.5" WQHD Monitor with NVIDIA G-SYNC Technology

Looking for a monitor for my son. 27” range. Mostly to attach an old laptop to it, but he is angling to be able to hook up his xbox to it. Any suggestions?

I have a 32" HP Pavilion with a 1440p panel that I quite like. It's available at Best Buy, and runs about $280.

Any suggestions for a 4K monitor with freesync under $500?

I found recommendations for:

LG 27UD68P-B
LG 32UD59-B
BenQ EL2870U

All are in the $400-$450 range.

If anyone's considering a Freesync monitor for an Nvidia card for cheaper access to variable refresh rate stuff, be aware that even for their Gsync Compatible certified monitors, there are still some quirks.

Not enough quirks that I would be dissuaded from going that direction versus not having VRR at all.

I never realized how difficult monitor shopping is! Holy cow! I just upgraded to a GTX 1070 and know I can run 1440p. I may be able to run 4k but completely unsure on that one.

I currently have an old 27" monitor and a 29" ultrawide. My plan is to keep the ultrawide and stand it on end as my wife uses my PC to work from home (worker's comp claims) and likes it to see documents.

So that means I keep the ultrawide for her and now need a new main monitor.

Step 1: Figure out you need a new monitor. Check!
Step 2: Figure out a budget. $500-600 tops. Check!
Step 3: Look online and see what's out there. Che ....... oh wait.

What's this? IPS? TN? There's what seems like a million combinations and not really a "one size fits all" monitor.

So here's where I am now:

* It seems like a TN IPS panel (Correction once I read ShadOut's response. Turns out I really am overloaded with information!) is best because the Internet says so
* I have a window on the other side of the office that creates minimal glare on the screen during the day
* I'm ok with 27" but wouldn't mind a larger monitor (and I completely understand that a larger monitor means possibly less flashy functions than a smaller, more expensive monitor)
* Curved. Is it really a thing? Have you guys found any advantage to it?
* Ultra-wide. Nice but I don't think I can fit 2 ultrawide monitors on my desk, it may be difficult I can't say I'm 100% sold on it although it is nice. Definitely not a necessity.

With my budget and the requirements, what would you guys recommend? Current games played are Overwatch, Anthem (when it comes out), Destiny 2, uhh ...lots of other games but mostly FPS type stuff. MMO if a good one comes out, aRPG, Torchlight (Which I can't wait for). I guess I run the gamut of games that I currently play

Yep. It is terrible.
Especially because all current monitors suck one way or another.

DeThroned wrote:

* It seems like a TN panel is best because the Internet says so
* I'm ok with 27" but wouldn't mind a larger monitor (and I completely understand that a larger monitor means possibly less flashy functions than a smaller, more expensive monitor)
* Curved. Is it really a thing? Have you guys found any advantage to it?

With my budget and the requirements, what would you guys recommend? Current games played are Overwatch, Anthem (when it comes out), Destiny 2, uhh ...lots of other games but mostly FPS type stuff. MMO if a good one comes out, aRPG, Torchlight (Which I can't wait for). I guess I run the gamut of games that I currently play :)

TN the best? Nope nope nope. The internet loses again.
It is best in response time, and since you play FPS games, that might make it worth it - though I don't believe most people will notice a significant difference between a fast TN monitor and a fast IPS.
And TN is worse in just about everything else - color and viewing angles in particular.
Personally I would never let a TN panel inside my house again... rather compromise on something else imo.

I've never tried a curved monitor, it seems a bit weird. But some people like it. It seems like one of those things where if the monitor you want happens to be curved, it is fine, and if not, that is fine too. Maybe it matters more with very large screens.

For FPS games a high refresh rate monitor seems like a good idea. Probably one of the better upgrades you can get.

Some popular high refresh 1440p monitors are these three (they are all nearly identical, same panel inside):
Viewsonic XG2703-GS
Asus PG279Q (or PG279QZ a recently released "new version")
Acer Predator XB271HU
But they seem to be at $700 unless you find them on sale.

I got the Asus one recently. It is not perfect, quite far from it (still not a magical cheap OLED without burn-in...). But it hits the mark on 1440 resolution, and high refresh rate.

They have gsync (some nvidia feature for reducing image tearing), which arbitrarily increases the cost. So the cheaper alternative likely is to find very similar monitors without gsync.
As the posts aboive are talking about, recently Nvidia gave up their stubborn fight for gsync monopoly, and started to support other monitors. So losing gsync probably isn't much of a loss anymore - if it ever was.

I dont know what the best freesync variants are though. I'm sure the monitor gurus will be here any moment
Might even be able to jump to 32" without gsync in that price-range.

I would not try 4k on a 1070 GPU.

Shadout wrote:

Asus PG279Q (or PG279QZ a recently released "new version")

The QZ is currently on Amazon for $599. Everywhere locally (Frys, Best Buy) it's $699. I may just go with that one. I like the Predator but this monitor definitely seems to be what I'm looking for.

And after some "A-ha" moments, I've been noticing that my 27" ViewSonic is a little washed out. My widescreen is an AOC 2963. Turns out the AOC is an IPS monitor, the ViewSonic is not. I've had the comparison side by side all this time and never realized it

I'm looking for a second monitor to go on my new L-shaped desk. I currently have something very similar to this (an older model, I believe). The problem is that I've had to shove the monitor right in the corner because the stand of it makes it really stick out. When I had it at the side, the screen was pretty much in my face, and there was only just enough room for the keyboard and mouse to sit.

I think what I want is a 24 inch monitor with a very slim profile, so it'll just sit back almost right on the wall. I'd like something semi-decent, but I'm more looking at this second monitor just to watch videos on while I do other things. Does anyone know of a monitor like this, with a stand that doesn't take up loads of room?